Latest news with #Raouf
Egypt Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- Egypt Independent
Egypt's partnership with BRICS boosts the value of local currency: Expert
The BRICS 2025 Summit kicked off on Sunday, July 6, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Leaders and heads of emerging economic powers are participating to discuss prospects for international cooperation and formulate a vision that reflects the aspirations of a multipolar world. Twenty countries have joined this year's BRICS Summit, including permanent members and partners within the group. The summit is scheduled to last two days, featuring a packed program including plenary sessions and bilateral and multilateral meetings. Discussions during the BRICS 2025 Summit will focus on strengthening South-South cooperation, amid ongoing efforts to consolidate BRICS' position on the international stage. Key topics include global economic governance, innovation and technology, sustainable development, climate change, and international peace and security issues, alongside specialized official sessions. This seventeenth edition of the BRICS Summit is being held under special circumstances – the group faces a host of challenges, both internally and externally, testing its ability to achieve its ambitions. Member states are seeking to expand cooperation in key areas such as health, technology, and the environment. This summit is gaining increasing importance as countries of the Global South seek to reshape the existing global order and reduce their reliance on traditional Western economic and political systems. It also pushes for enhanced trade using local currencies and expanded economic partnerships among member states, as part of a strategic drive toward building a multi-polar world order. Brazil assumed the presidency of the group in early January, for the fourth time in its history. Economic gains Economic expert Samir Raouf, said that the 17th BRICS Summit offers Egypt significant economic gains by enhancing trade and investment through increased trade volume with BRICS countries. He explained that trade volume between Egypt and BRICS countries has already increased by 19.5 percent in 2024 – reaching US$50.8 billion – with the opening of new markets for Egyptian products in these countries, especially after the increase in the number of members including from China, Russia, and India. Raouf added that increased cooperation with strong economies within the group has led to an influx of additional foreign investment into the Egyptian market, alongside opening up new areas of cooperation in the technology, innovation, industrial development, energy, and food agriculture sectors. This coincides with the possibility of implementing trade exchange systems in local currencies, which will help alleviate pressure on the dollar, reduce dependence on it, and gradually support the Egyptian pound. The economic expert explained that Egypt is now able to benefit greatly from the collective efforts of the BRICS countries to establish an alternative global financial system based on non-dollar payment systems and multiple economic instruments. In the future, this could lead to an improvement in the value of the local currency and increase Egypt's flexibility in making economic decisions outside the pressures of the traditional financial system. Regarding financing development projects, Raouf explained that Egypt's membership in the BRICS New Development Bank provides it with concessional financing for infrastructure and sustainable development projects, particularly regarding transportation, energy, water, digital infrastructure, and social development. As for tourism, the expert pointed out that the current stable situation in Egypt and the approaching opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum provide it with ample opportunities to promote tourism within the BRICS countries and increase the flow of tourist delegations from these countries. Raouf concluded his remarks stating that Egypt's participation in the 17th BRICS Summit also brings significant strategic and geopolitical gains, as it strengthens its regional and international role as an active player in international forums, contributes to building a more balanced and just global economic system, and provides it with political and marketing support internationally on several issues. Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
Rudaw Net
11-05-2025
- Climate
- Rudaw Net
Drought drives scores of tourists to Dukan: Official
Also in Kurdistan Key Erbil water project nears completion Turkey intensifies strikes as PKK weighs disarmament: Watchdog Kurdistan Region overhauls taxi system with green vehicle shift First Crimean-Congo fever patient dies in Duhok A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The number of tourists flocking to Sulaimani province's Dukan has doubled due to low rainfall across the country, a local official said on Saturday, as citizens look to cool off amid rising temperatures. 'We make complete preparations to welcome tourists in the best way possible, and due to low rainfall and drought this year, the number of tourists has gradually increased and doubled,' Rejin Raouf, the head of Dukan tourism, told Rudaw. According to Raouf, approximately 40,000 tourists visit Dukan on the weekends, and nearly 500,000 tourists have visited since Eid. Dukan is a resort town in Sulaimani province located on the Little Zab river, making it a popular tourist destination, especially during the scorching summer months when citizens from the Kurdistan Region and Iraq seek to escape the scorching temperatures. 'Many tourists are heading to Dukan because of its weather and the availability of water,' Raouf said, adding that the resort town is fully booked until Friday. Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable to climate change, including water and food insecurity, according to the UN. It is facing a severe water shortage because of reduced precipitation, higher temperatures, and waste mismanagement. Scorching temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius are routinely recorded in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in the summer, coupled with water scarcity, desertification, and reduced rainfall. The World Resources Institute places Iraq among 25 countries that face extreme water stress, meaning that it is using over 80 percent of its available supply of water and is at risk of running out of water in case of any short-term drought. With the exception of Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region's provinces have seen less rain this year than the previous year, according to information obtained by Rudaw.
BBC News
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Make-up free Miss England round normalises 'real' beauty
Former beauty queens say a vote to keep make-up free rounds in the Miss England contest is important for "empowering" women and competition was one of the first to introduce a 'bare-faced' heat in 2019, but had considered removing it due to divided opinion among Raouf, 23, who competed make-up free for the whole contest in 2022, said it helped her feel "empowered and brave" after years of struggling with her Elle Seline, 34, who entered Ms Great Britain - one of the Miss Great Britain events - without make-up in 2021, said it helps "normalise" natural beauty. The winner of the Miss England Bare Face Top Model contest is fast-tracked to the final round of women vying for the overall January, organisers invited people to vote on social media whether to keep it as an optional round. Not everyone agreed the round should stay, with some commenting it could be "daunting" for some contestants, or reinforce a different kind of "beauty standard", with many stating the heat must remain the vast majority of people voted to keep it in the competition. Elle, who lives in Surrey, has previously spoken to the BBC about being bullied about her appearance at her Wiltshire said she hopes in a few years people entering beauty pageants without make-up could "be the norm", bringing pageants "out of the dark ages"."The key element is the choice for women to be able to do what they want with their body, their faces," she added. Melisa, from London, said she was initially "a bit worried" about going make-up free."I was so insecure - all the photos I posted before were filtered, altered, loads of makeup on, always comparing myself, always thinking I wasn't good enough," she said."There were all these toxic beauty standards. It had a really detrimental effect on my mental health."She said the feeling she got from winning the bare-faced round in the Miss England contest inspired her decision to compete make-up free in the whole said she was "actually quite upset" organisers were considering removing the make-up free element."It shows the people watching that these girls are not really glitz and glam 24-7, these is their real selves," she said."It's really refreshing for everyone to see." Since competing, she said she has started posting unfiltered photos online to help others "feel more happy in their skin, more beautiful"."I want to be that role model," she said."It should be normalised. If we don't want to wear make-up, we don't have to." She is considering entering Miss England bare-faced again this year and hopes other pageants will introduce make-up free heats in the future."At the end of the day it's a choice. I think that's what's so powerful about it," she said. Elle said since she entered Ms Great Britain bare-faced she has received messages from people who say she has helped also speaks in schools, colleges and mental health groups about her journey, body image and choice, and even took her message to Parliament in 2022."It's helped me become more my authentic self," she said."I'm so much more vulnerable with people, I don't put on that front any more, I don't hide behind things." "Beauty standards will always be a thing, but as long as we're talking and we're making these moments... I think that's where the changes will be," she added."Sometimes leaving the house without make-up is hard but people are realising that it is OK just to exist and be yourself." Angie Beasley, director of Miss England, one of the biggest beauty pageants in the UK, said she introduced the Bare Face Top Model heat to see the "real" people behind the applications."I was getting so many entries on our website from contestants with filters on and their faces covered in make-up we couldn't see the real contestant," she the vote to keep the bare-faced element, she said: "It's fantastic to know the contestants love the make-up free round so much - the feedback is they feel empowered."
